A Healer's Touch
by Hiccup The Demigod
Summary: Jorn has returned to Berk to catch up with the Master Riders, only to discover everything has changed. What happened to Berk? Why is Hiccup chief? What is Eret son of Rest doing riding Stoick's dragon? Part five of my Seizure Procedure series (Cover picture is a Jorn avatar. This is if very close to how I imagine him)
1. Chapter 1

Jorn mounted Garff and waved goodbye to the villagers. He had spent the past week teaching their healer newer and safer techniques to treat her patients. In the five months since leaving Berk, he and a handful of healers have been going around the Archipelago and beyond helping tribes that didn't have a healer or updating healers with new methods.

It was quite a rewarding project seeing people smile. Helping those in need was an amazing experience.

Jorn was heading back to Sliepner Island, where he had set up base for Healers Without Borders, when one of his volunteer healers intercepted him. "Jorn, a Terror Mail has come across your desk. Berk is in need of assistance. There was an attack and the Chief is asking for healers."

Jorn furrowed his eyebrows. His new home had been attacked. He needed to get there right away. "Head back to base and pick out three healers. Have them meet me at Berk." Garff sang a line in agreement.

Before the other healer could say anything, Jorn and Garff were gone.

* * *

Jorn could see the destruction from several hundred yards away. It looked like Berk had been encased in ice. As he got closer, he could see just how bad the damage was. Most of it looked repaired and it didn't look like a lot of people were injured. He could see some of the Master Riders racing. What was going on?

The Healer landed outside the Great Hall. No one seemed to notice him and Garff yet. He dismounted and gave Garff a comforting pat on the head "Stay here, boy. I'm going to go to see Stoick and Hiccup."

Garff purred in agreement and went off to find a place to nap. It wasn't easy, as all the dragons kept assaulting the newcomer and wanted to sniff his butt.

Jorn walked through the village. Those who weren't at the races were working on breaking the ice apart. The few who saw him stared at him as of they'd seen a ghost, before running off. As he neared the stands, he could see Hiccup sitting in Stoick's throne. Was Stoick off the island for business?

He climbed the stairs to the top where Hiccup sat. When he reached the top, he stood behind Hiccup, not saying anything. He simply studied the younger man. Hiccup's facial hair was longer than the stubble Jorn had been used to. The kid wasn't a fan of growing facial hair and shaved every few days. Maybe he's been busy?

Hiccup was wearing a fur cloak that hung from his shoulders and was being held together by a chief clasp. When did Hiccup become chief? He knew Stoick was planning on retiring, but it wasn't supposed to be made official for another year. What happened?

The kid seemed uninterested in the race, but was following along just the same. He seemed tired, the dark circles under his eyes indicated that he hasn't had a good night's sleep in weeks.

Suddenly the crowd cheered louder than they previously had been. Jorn looked up and saw why; Astrid had the black sheep. Hiccup stood up, ready to announce her as the winner.

No sooner was the sheep in the net did Hiccup speak. "The black sheep gives Astrid Haddock 15 points. Astrid wins the game. Let us all convene to the Academy to celebrate."

Wait. Astrid Haddock? They got married? When? Jorn felt so out of the loop. So much has happened. What else has he missed? Before he could form another thought, Hiccup turned and ran right into him.

"JORN!" Hiccup exclaimed once both regained their balance. "What are you doing here?! You're dead!"

* * *

Author's Note: Welp, I clearly have no control over my willpower to take a break from writing. The other night I started to wonder about Jorn and how he would help Hiccup after becoming chief. Next thing I know, it's four in the morning and I've written four chapters

Reviews are loved. Don't forget to follow and favorite.

Special thanks to DraconicBeing2.0 for staying on as my beta reader and being an amazing friend


	2. Chapter 2

Jorn stared at Hiccup as if he had completely lost his mind. Then again, lack of sleep does tend to do that. He opened his mouth to speak only to find himself being smothered after Hiccup pulled him into a bear hug. Who knew the scrawny one legged Viking possessed enough strength to cut off one's air supply in the form of a bear hug.

"It's good to see you too, kid," Jorn rasped. "Now if I could just breathe."

Hiccup let go of Jorn and stared at him. "How is this possible? You were dead. One of your healers told us in person."

"I'm not dead Hiccup," Jorn stated. "I'm very much alive. Wait, which healer?"

"He said his name was Brunson," Hiccup answered.

Jorn buried his head in his hands. He knew he should have come back sooner. "Brunson tried to kill me two months ago. He didn't like following the protocols I had set up. He let ten of his patients die from treatable injuries and ailments. I removed his healer status and sent him to Outcast Island. Before he left he tried to kill me. I played dead and he left."

Hiccup stared at the man. The kid seemed so broken yet so relieved. It became clear to Jorn why he hadn't been sleeping. He was mourning his death. He spent countless hours sitting up crying for the loss of a yet another friend.

Jorn put a comforting hand on Hiccup's shoulder. "It's going to be okay, kid. I'm not going anywhere. Or should I say Chief?"

"Kid is fine, Jorn," Hiccup replied. "Come, let's head to Academy with everyone else to celebrate Astrid's latest victory and your coming home."

* * *

Hiccup and Jorn stood to the side and watched everyone drink and dance and slap each other with fish. A typical Viking party.

"How long have you Astrid been married?" Jorn asked trying to get the conversation rolling.

"Couple of months," Hiccup answered. "Shortly after we got word of your untimely demise. We were going to wait a bit longer. Give the tribe some time to adjust to all the changes, but-" Hiccup's voice trailed off. The kid looked down at his feet, er, foot.

"Hiccup Haddock," Jorn probed, "what happened?"

Hiccup lowered his voice to a whisper. "We were so distraught over your death we... you know… It just sort of happened. We didn't plan on doing it, which is against Viking law. We're required to wait until marriage."

Jorn's eyes widened. "Is she-?"

Hiccup shrugged. "We don't know yet. So we married rather quickly. That way, it looks like we conceived on our first night. Just to be safe."

"Has she missed a blood cycle since that night?" Jorn asked. Hiccup nodded as Jorn broke out a grin. "Congratulations, kid. You're having a kid!"

The two fell back into silence. Hiccup stood there grinning at the idea of being a father, but Jorn could tell he was also freaking out. Jorn looked around to see if Stoick had returned and joined the festivities. He could not find the vast man.

"Where's your dad?" Jorn wondered.

Hiccup stared at him, hurt filling his eyes. It was almost as if he had insulted his honor. "Don't act like you don't know. We sent out several Terror Mails."

Jorn stared at his chief, thoroughly confused. "The only Terror Mail I received since leaving was saying you needed help after you've been attacked."

Hiccup studied the man before him, looking to see if he was telling the truth. The young chief decided to believe him. "The day after you left, Dad tried to have a talk about making me chief. I ran off..."

Jorn silently listened as Hiccup described the final hours of a great man's life. He could hear regret, sorrow, relief, happiness and anger in the kid's voice. He lost one parent but gained another. It was as if the gods decided he could only have one parent at a time.

This kid couldn't catch a break in life. It was one hardship after another. Right when it seemed like things were quieting down, but Jorn never put out much hope on things such as down time and relaxing. Hiccup was destined to live a hard life in order to keep the peace between man and dragon.

"- Drago and his Bewilderbeast vanished beneath the ocean's surface and after a brief reunion with everyone and their dragons, I was made Chief," Hiccup finished.

"I'm so sorry, kid," Jorn apologized. "If I had known, I would have been here much sooner."

"You're here now," Hiccup sighed. "That's all that matters."

* * *

Hiccup and Astrid offered to put Jorn up in a spare room until a new hut could be made for him. All three of them, including Toothless, sat at the table beneath the loft, discussing the plans for tomorrow.

"The Great Hall is our top priority, right now," Hiccup stated. "That ice needs to be melted down if we're going to get everyone out of there."

"Wait a minute," Jorn interrupted. "You still have people trapped? After five months?"

"Yes," Hiccup said curtly. "The ice encased half the village. This is the first time we've been able to get to the Great Hall."

"What makes you think they are still alive?" Jorn questioned.

"Johann," Hiccup replied. "He spent months encased in Bewilderbeast ice. If he could survive, so can anyone else. We've determined who is more likely to survive and for how long. Children and young adults last longer, given that they are healthy and fit. Older and bigger ones who aren't as healthy won't last as long. Their hearts simply can't keep their blood pumping. We've made a list of people who are still missing. Fishlegs and Eret are calculating their odds. We hold out hope that everyone who is still trapped will come out of it alive, but we might have to face the reality that we can't save everyone."

Jorn was shocked to hear Hiccup talk this way. Going through two wars so close together, had all but destroyed him. He talked about hope, but he knew that every elderly and unhealthy person was dead. He wasn't shocked by it or in denial. The death of his father and so many friends taught him better. In the words of Dagur, "Hope is not a strategy."

The three continued to talk for the next couple of hours. The more they talked, the more Jorn could see of Hiccup's wellbeing. Hiccup was running himself into the ground being chief. Granted, he was made chief at the end of a war, and was left a major crisis to deal with, but how he was going about it was not healthy. Hiccup needed rest.

"I think it's time to call it a night," Jorn suggested. He placed his bag on the table and pulled out a red vial. "Here, kid. Drink this. You need a good night's rest."

Hiccup took the vial, uncorked it, and downed its contents without question. Jorn learned a long time ago that he was the only one who could get Hiccup to drink a tonic without question. If he said it would help him sleep, Hiccup would believe him and take it.

The chief stood and dragged himself up the stairs and into the bed he and Astrid shared. Toothless shortly followed to lay on his rock. Astrid remained in her seat, listening to her husband get into bed.

"He's still wearing his flying gear, isn't he?" Jorn asked when neither could hear the sound his gear makes when it comes off.

"Yeah," Astrid chuckled. "I'll take it off him when I get up there."

"Take his leg while you're at it," Jorn said.

The wife of the chief gave him a perplexed look. "Why?"

"I'm prescribing bed rest," Jorn answered. "Hiccup looks like the living dead. He needs at least a week of rest. He can pass his chiefly duties on to someone else."

"I'll do it," Astrid volunteered.

"No," Jorn said sternly. "You're with child. You don't need any added stress."

"How did you know?" Astrid practically demanded.

"You can't be mad at Hiccup," Jorn warned. "No one else but me knows, but I recommend going to Gothi or a mid-wife soon to see how far along you are and to make proper preparations."

Astrid just nodded as she placed her hands over her stomach as if feeling her unborn child grow. Jorn could tell she was trying to imagine what kind of future her child would have.

"The tonic I gave Hiccup, should last for about 16 hours," Jorn said switching the topic back to his patient and chief. "Has he had any more seizures since Berserker Island?"

"Um, he had a small one a few nights after Stoick died. He had been on patrol. Snotlout had been with him when it happened. Thankfully, Snotlout was able to catch Hiccup and Hookfang got Toothless."

"I take it the Master Riders know?" Jorn figured.

"Yeah. He came clean after the funeral," Astrid answered. "Valka was so scared when Snotlout brought Hiccup home. Fishlegs and Gothi spent a good time calming her down, even after Hiccup woke up. She kept making sure her son was okay. Hiccup had to sit her down and explain everything to her. He hadn't gone into detail at the nest since time was of the essence. They spent a good two hours discussing every seizure he's ever had and how to deal with them."

"Valka is his mom?" Jorn guessed.

"Yeah," Astrid confirmed. "I take it Hiccup already told you what happened.

"Yes. I'm so sorry," Jorn comforted.

Astrid stood up. "I'm going to hit the sack. You should to. It's going to be a long day tomorrow."

* * *

Author's Note: Thank you for the reviews and support.

Special thanks to DraconicBeing2.0 for being an amazing beta reader and friend


	3. Chapter 3

Jorn sat next to the young girl that had just been freed from the ice. She was fighting consciousness. She wanted to see her mom and dad first.

After eight hours of working away at the ice, fifteen people had been freed. Only five were alive. They still had twenty-four people left on the list. Among the dead were Gustav, Sven and Snotlout's mother, Ava.

From what could be seen, Gustav had taken to the brunt of the ice blast while Bucket and Mulch tried to hurry everyone to the end of the Great Hall. It saddened Jorn to see them gone, but they died heroes. It's how every Viking hopes to go out. No one in this village expects to live long enough to die of old age. Every last one of them plans on going out fighting, protecting, and on their feet. It was the Viking way.

Jorn watched as the little girl's parents showed up and embraced her with tears of joy spilling out of their eyes. As soon as the father picked her she let the dream world claim her. The Healer gave the mother a couple of tonics and instructions of how to use them until Gothi could get to their house. He made sure the child was wrapped up warmly beneath the first blanket that had been provided, before letting the overjoyed parents take her home.

As the reunited family walked away, Jorn felt a tap on his shoulder. He spun around and was greeted by a very unhappy Hiccup. Toothless was at his side, half asleep.

"Hiccup, you need to be in bed!" Jorn exclaimed.

"I'm fine," Hiccup stated. "How many have been freed?"

"Fifteen. Five of which are alive," Jorn answered. "You shouldn't be up. You need rest."

"I can rest later," Hiccup said. Toothless grumbled.

"Hiccup Haddock III," Jorn voiced sternly. "You need to rest. You haven't slept in gods know how long. You look like you've come back from dead. As your healer, I am ordering you back to bed." He glanced at Toothless, who was struggling to keep his eyes open. "And Toothless too." He warbled in gratefulness and tried to tug Hiccup towards the Haddock house, but he resisted. Toothless fell over.

Hiccup rolled his eyes and scoffed. "I'm the chief. You can't order me around. Neither can you, Toothless."

Jorn crossed his arms over his chest. "According to Hooligan law; 'If a resident healer, i.e. me, feels that the chief, i.e. you, is incapable of performing his duties to the best of his abilities, the healer can keep him from his duties until the chief is deemed healthy once more.' Hiccup, you and Toothless look like you're ready to collapse right about now. You can't keep going at this pace. If you don't start taking better care of yourself, you could cause a seizure so bad you can't recover from it. If that doesn't happen, I will relieve you permanently and will instate the next in line. Do you really want Snotlout as chief?"

Hiccup pouted, clearly not liking having the law recited to him or the idea of Snotlout taking over. "Fine, I'll head back home."

Jorn nodded. "Good. I'll be by in a couple hours to check on you. Toothless, make sure he doesn't leave."

Toothless smiled as he bobbed his head up and down. He nearly fell over again, but righted himself and shook his head.

"Great. Recruit my dragon to this mutiny," Hiccup grumbled as he walked away with Toothless right on his heels.

Jorn let out a small chuckle. Hiccup did not like taking orders from anybody. The kid was a free spirit. He wanted to be out exploring, learning, flying, helping, and a whole bunch of other stuff. But he needed to learn that his body needed rest. He needs to try to unwind. Being chief doesn't allow much room for relaxation; he would have to start taking it where he could.

Like right now, there wasn't much he could do with the thawing of the ice. If Toothless tried blasting that ice, it would turn into deadly shards and injure who knows how many people and dragons. The ice needed to be melted slowly and carefully. It was a job from Gronkles and Monstrous Nightmares.

Hiccup wouldn't be able to speed things up or control the outcome. Those ten Vikings would still be dead. They were dead the minute they froze, no matter how Johann had survived.

* * *

By the time the sun set over the horizon, fourteen more people had been freed. Eleven of them were still alive. Each was given emergency treatment and sent back to their homes for further care. Ten more remained in the ice. Out of the thirty-nine Vikings trapped in the ice, sixteen were alive and free. Hopefully, the remaining ten were still alive bringing the count up to twenty-six survivors out of thirty-nine.

Jorn hopes for that outcome. It would be a miracle from the gods if everyone else was still alive. The Vikings and dragons were ready to call it a night as the moon rose above the clouds.

Gobber and a few other Vikings convinced the rest of rescuers to stay until everyone was out. The remaining ten deserved to go home just as much as the other 16. Besides, who knows what could happen between now and the next day. It was in everyone's best interest to keep working.

Jorn excused himself to go and check on the chief to make sure he was in fact resting. Gobber and Gothi promised to hold down the fort. The Healer stopped off in the town square to use what little gold he had to get enough dinner for three, well, four if you count the unborn child growing inside Astrid. He also grabbed a basket of fish for Toothless.

The man whistled a cheerful tune as he walked up to the Haddock house. Today had been a good day. Families had been reunited with their loved ones. Though, some had to say goodbye. Those who lost someone seemed more relieved than sad. They had held out hope but knew deep down that the one they were missing was dead.

The funerals would begin tomorrow. It had been discussed that the deceased would be put all on one boat, so they could enter Valhalla together. They were all heroes in the end. Fighting and sacrificing until their last breath. It was not normal practice, but these were not normal circumstances. Times like this, Jorn thanked the gods for loopholes when it came to funeral arrangements.

Jorn walked and found his patient sitting at the table going over several documents at once. "So this is your idea of resting?"

"I'm just reading, Jorn," Hiccup stated. "These are important documents that can't wait. Births and weddings. Someone is trying for divorce since the husband is refusing to help provide for the family. Apparently, all he wants to do is drink mead and bet on races. He doesn't help tend to the land. He treats the children like slaves, which they aren't."

Jorn could tell Hiccup was getting worked up over the pitiful excuse for a Viking. He needed the kid to calm down. Stress was the last thing he needed. "How about we let Gobber look over the documents? He and the council can come to a decision, later. Right now, go upstairs and change out of your flying gear. By the time you're done, dinner will be started. Wake up Toothless if you can."

Hiccup stood and headed upstairs. Jorn set the uncooked dinner down and picked up the papers. He put them into a neat pile and hid them away in a nearby book. After that, he took out the yak ribs he had purchased, seasoned them with salt, and put them in the coal oven. He began to make a sauce his mother taught him to make while searching for a knife to cut the loaf of bread.

He placed the sauce in a small pot and held it over the fire, waiting for it to simmer. Once it was done simmering, he opened the coal oven and poured it over the ribs. After he poured it all out, he set to work slicing up various vegetables to turn into a stew.

As he was mixing them together, Hiccup came back down the stairs, followed by Toothless, who looked a little better. His steps sounded as if he had a Gronkle attached to each leg. Jorn watched as Hiccup basically fell into his chair and laid his head on the table. Toothless sat by Hiccup's side, obviously hungry but trying not to show it. He was staring at Hiccup in an offhanded way.

Jorn set the pot of vegetables down, picked up the basket of fish, and walked over to Hiccup. "You're not looking too good, kid. Aside from last night, when was the last time you slept? Or ate?" He dropped the basket of fish for Toothless, but he ignored it. The Night Fury was whining, staring at Hiccup worriedly.

Hiccup gave no response to either of them. He lay motionless at the table. Jorn lifted Hiccup's head off the table and pushed him into the back of the chair. He felt for a pulse. It was very slow and irregular. Quickly, Jorn picked up a nearby candle and forced one of Hiccup's eyes open. He watched as the pupils expand, but not much. Toothless was pacing now, whining and moaning.

Jorn leaned in and listened to Hiccup's breathing. It sounded like he had been gargling salt water. All signs pointed to him having a seizure. He'd definitely been upstairs long enough to have one and come to enough to come back downstairs.

Jorn picked Hiccup up and carried him back upstairs. Toothless followed, worried for his rider

* * *

Author's Note: Thank you so much for the reviews. I'm glad everyone is enjoying the story.

Special thanks to DraconicBeing2.0 for being an amazing beta reader and friend


	4. Chapter 4

Jorn decided to stay with Hiccup instead of going back to the Great Hall. He sat at Hiccup's desk and watched his chest rise and fall. The kid's breathing had evened out, but he still wasn't waking up. Toothless was sleeping on his rock.

The healer was growing worried. With all the stress Hiccup had been under in the past few months, his health had taken its toll. A seizure was his body pleading with him to slow down and take it easy.

Jorn was pulled from his thoughts when he heard the front door open.

"Hello," an unfamiliar voice called out. Jorn got up and walked down the stairs to greet the newcomer.

"Hi. I'm Jorn," Jorn greeted as he studied the new face. She was thin, but fit. Her hair was auburn just like Hiccup's and her eyes were the same emerald green. He decided this was his mother. "You must be Hiccup's mother, Valka."

Valka stared at him, unsure whether to attack or not. Best course of action: talk to him and see if he is a threat. "What are you doing here?"

"Hiccup and Astrid offered me a place to stay until a hut could be built," Jorn answered.

"Where are they?" Valka demanded.

"Astrid is in the village with her parents," Jorn replied. "And Hiccup is upstairs. He's, um, not awake yet. Something happened."

Valka ran past Jorn and practically flew up the stairs. Toothless woke up quickly into a fighting stance, but sat down again once he saw Valka. Jorn quickly followed in order to keep her calm. He came up next to her as he stood over her unconscious son.

"What happened?" Valka asked, fear pouring into her body.

"You know about his condition?" Jorn wanted to confirm.

Valka's eyes widened. "He had one of those seizures?"

Jorn nodded. "Yeah. A bad one by the looks of it. He's put so much on himself, trying to fill Stoick's boots, his body can't take it. I'm doing what I can, but when it comes to thing like this, all you can you do is wait."

Valka sat down where Jorn had been sitting previously. "You're a healer."

Jorn knelt down next to her, reaching eye level. "Yeah. Don't worry; I know how to treat him. But like I said, it's a waiting game right now. If he has any problems when he wakes up, I will do everything in my power to make him better."

Valka didn't say anything. She simply stared at her son, fearing the worst. Tears fell from her eyes. Jorn instinctively reached his hand up and wiped them away.

"No tears yet," Jorn said. "Healer's orders."

Valka let out a watery laugh and nodded. "Yes sir."

The two stared at each other. In that moment, both felt something. It was as if they had been long lost friends who finally found each other again, only to realize their feelings for another moved past friendship. Before either could act on this feeling, a groan could be heard from the bed.

Valka shot up and was by Hiccup's side holding his hand with hers. "It's okay, Hiccup."

"Mom?" Hiccup asked as he opened his eyes, looking up at her.

"I'm here, Hiccup. Everything is okay," Valka said. "Don't worry. Jorn is here as well."

Jorn stood up from his crouched position and moved to the other side of the bed. He placed a hand under Hiccup's back and the other on his shoulder, and helped sit him up. Once Hiccup was upright and leaning against the headboard, Jorn started his examination by holding a finger in front of his eyes.

"Follow my finger, kid," Jorn ordered gently.

Hiccup followed his finger and asked. "What happened?"

"You had a seizure," Jorn answered dropping his finger. "Eye movement is a bit sluggish. Make a fist."

Hiccup did so as Jorn grabbed his wrist and began tapping, counting the seconds and the thrum he felt beneath his fingers. After a moment of silence passed, Jorn let go of Hiccup's arm. "Pretty bad one too. You've been out for a couple hours. What's the last thing you remember?"

Hiccup thought for moment. "Going over paperwork. You walked in and we talked for a couple minutes. I came up here to get or do something."

"You came up here to take off your flying gear," Jorn filled in the blanks. "About fifteen minutes later, you came back down, sat in your chair and promptly passed out. Near as I can figure, you had a seizure after getting out of your gear and instead of passing out right away, you somehow managed to come downstairs. Which is quite a feat in of itself."

"How you feel, Hiccup?" Valka asked.

"Tired," Hiccup answered. "Breathing hurts a bit, but I'm sure it will pass. Head's starting to hurt."

Toothless crooned in concern and nuzzled Hiccup. He scratched the dragon's head in reply.

Jorn placed a hand over Hiccup's forehead. Sure enough, the kid had a fever starting to form. "Lean forward."

Hiccup obliged and Jorn placed one hand on his back and the other his chest. "Breathe in through your nose and out the mouth. Slowly. Five times should suffice."

Jorn could feel some slight rattling by the time Hiccup took his third breath. On the fourth Hiccup began to cough. Jorn removed his hands and waited for Hiccup to finish coughing.

Toothless was worried now, and wanted to know how bad it was. Valka gently pushed the dragon back, so that Jorn could work.

When Hiccup finally finished coughing, Jorn had him lean back against the headboard. "Open your mouth."

Hiccup did so. Jorn picked a nearby candle and held it close enough to look down Hiccup's throat. It was starting swell and was turning in ugly shade of red. "Congrats, kid. You are sick. That seizure really did a number on you. That and the added stress of being chief and repairing the village. Your body is literally telling you that you need to rest."

Hiccup shook his. "I don't need rest. I'll be fine." He moved to climb out of bed only to have Jorn hold him back.

"You are sick and are staying in bed until I think you are better. Understood?" Jorn stated.

Hiccup pouted and nodded. "Understood."

Jorn let go of Hiccup. "Good. Now stay here while I go downstairs and get my medicine bag and start a pot of broth."

Jorn walked downstairs and could hear Hiccup complaining to his mom about being forced to stay in bed when he had work to do. He couldn't make out what Valka was saying. She was speaking too softly for him to hear her.

He placed a small cauldron over the fire and poured the ingredients in to make the boar broth. Once he finished that, he grabbed his bag and headed back upstairs.

"The broth is starting to heat up, but before you have any, I'm going to have you take some tonics," Jorn said as he emptied his bag on the desk. "One for the fever, and another to reduce the swelling in your throat. And the last one is for pain and will help increase your appetite."

"Why my appetite?" Hiccup asked. "It's fine."

Jorn shook his head. "You're practically skin and bones. When I was carrying you back up here, you were significantly lighter than you normally are. It's a miracle you can still walk. You and I are going to be spending a lot of quality time together _Chief_ , so that you are healthy to run this village."

"On that note," Valka said before the awkward tension could rise. "I'll be heading off to bed."

"Good night, Mom," Hiccup said as she walked toward the stairs.

"Good night, son," Valka replied as she disappeared to the bottom floor.

Jorn grabbed the tonics he needed, pulled the chair closer to the bed and stayed down. "Now that she's gone, you want to tell me why it looks like you're trying to slowly kill yourself?"

Hiccup's eyes were suddenly filled with anger and hurt. "I'm not."

Jorn didn't back down. He knew Hiccup had lost so much in the past year. He could see that aside from Astrid, Toothless, and his mom, he was shutting everyone out and building a wall. "Hiccup, it's going to be okay. You know you can talk to me."

Hiccup looked up at the ceiling, tears began fall from his eyes. "There's been so much death. I don't know how much more I can take." Toothless licked his face, cleaning the salty water.

The kid had so much pain in his voice; it was hard to hear him. "Kid, closing yourself off, forcing your emotions down, starving yourself, isn't going to bring anyone back. All it's doing is eating you alive. Throwing yourself into your duties is only making you feel worse," Jorn spoke softly. "If you continue down this path, you'll be dead inside a month and Berk will lose an amazing Chief. Astrid will be left alone raising your child who will grow up not knowing who his father is. Toothless will be heartbroken and will probably never let anyone else fly him. Is this the kind of legacy you want leave behind?"

Hiccup turned his head and looked at Jorn. "How do I come back?"

"First things first, we get you healthy. You can start by taking these tonics," Jorn answered as he handed Hiccup the medicines. "While you take those, I'll go check on your broth."

Hiccup nodded and uncorked the first tonic. Jorn stood up and walked downstairs. When Astrid came home, he was going to talk to her about finding someone to be Acting Chief. It was going to be long while before Hiccup would be able to handle being Chief.

Jorn grabbed a ladle and a bowl. He stirred the broth before scooping some into the bowl. He left the ladle it the cauldron and grabbed a spoon off the counter, before heading back upstairs.

He looked at the three empty vials that had been set on the desk. "Dinners ready. I know it's not yak ribs and mixed vegetables, but with the way your throat is swollen, I don't recommend solid food until it's gone down."

"Broth is fine, Jorn," Hiccup said, pushing himself up some more so not spill any.

"Think you can do it yourself?" Jorn asked, half joking, half serious. Toothless chortled and curled up on his rock again.

Hiccup gave him a small smirk. "Yeah, I think I can feed myself."

Jorn handed him the bowl and sat back down in the chair. Hiccup sipped a few spoonfuls of broth before speaking. "You don't have to be in here. You can go downstairs."

Jorn just shook his head. "No way, kid. My butt is going to stay attached to this chair until you are done with the broth or Astrid comes home. Whichever comes first. You are not going to be left alone."

Hiccup started to groan, but it quickly turned into a coughing fit. Jorn grabbed the bowl and sat it down as he stood up. He stood over Hiccup ready to assist, should he start to cough up blood. Each cough sounded painful.

After coughing for a minute straight, Hiccup took in a big breath of air and let it out slowly. Jorn helped him to lean back and moved to get a better look at him. Hiccup's face was turning red and sweat was forming at the brim of his forehead. The healer placed his hand on Hiccup's forehead again. He was hotter than he had been not even an hour before.

Jorn moved away and began to search through the contents of his bag. He quickly found what he was looking for and gave it to Hiccup. "Drink this. All of it. The effect will be instant."

"What effect is that?" Hiccup rasped.

"Sleep," Jorn said. "You're burning up. Having you asleep will make it easier to bring it down."

Hiccup uncorked the ceramic bottle and downed the whole thing in two gulps. Jorn counted to twenty and watched as Hiccup fell into a deep slumber.

* * *

Author's Note: What do you think of Jorn and Valka's first meeting? Is Hiccup going to be okay?

Depression can make anyone it's bitch. It shouldn't be surprising that Hiccup has it after everything I and the second movie have put him through.

Next chapter we get some background into Jorn's character. Stay tuned

Special thanks to DraconicBeing2.0 for being an amazing beta reader and friend.


	5. Chapter 5

Jorn wrung out the cool cloth and replaced it with the one on Hiccup's forehead. He had given Hiccup a tonic to put him sleep five hours ago, the effects of which would last about a week. He had that long to bring the kid's fever down.

He was still unsure of what had caused the rapid rise in temperature, but the how didn't matter. What mattered was breaking the fever. As he sat there, watching Hiccup breathe and shake from the fever, he recalled the conversation he had with Astrid a few hours prior.

 _Jorn was downstairs grabbing clean cloths to use for cooling Hiccup down when the latter's wife walked in through the door._

 _"Hey Jorn," Astrid greeted with a smile. She looked around and saw no sign of her husband. "Hiccup's upstairs?"_

 _"Yeah," Jorn answered with a grim smile. "But Astrid, you should know he had a seizure a while ago. He was out for two hours. When he woke he had a fever, swelling of the throat, and a nasty cough." Astrid stared him, taking all this in but letting him to continue. "Within an hour of waking up, his fever shot through the roof. I've given him a tonic that will keep him in a coma like state for several days."_

 _"Can I go see him?" Astrid asked, as tears started to form._

 _"You can," Jorn nodded. "I don't want you stay for very long, and don't touch him. He might be contagious. I don't want you stay to long. Toothless has been getting overprotective, and even growled at me a few times in the beginning of Hiccup's fever. I need you and Valka to go stay with someone at least until his fever breaks. Neither of you need to be getting sick right now. Take Garff with you. He's going to need some company."_

 _Astrid nodded. "Of course. I'll pack and bag and we'll head over to my parents' place."_

Jorn hated the idea of sending them away, but it was for their own safety. If Hiccup really was contagious, it didn't need to be spread through the whole village and cause an epidemic. To ensure he would be able to keep treating Hiccup, he was taking some of the same tonics he was giving Hiccup.

* * *

After four days of Hiccup suffering from a high fever, it finally broke. Jorn sat in the chair he had called home, relieved to finally be through the worst of it. All he had left to do was reduce the swelling in the kid's throat and all would be better.

He thought about trying to wake Hiccup early, but decided against it. The kid needed rest more than anything. That and food.

Jorn stood up from his chair and headed downstairs. Toothless followed. Between the two of them, Toothless was the only one to get any real sleep the past few days. Jorn had caught a couple hours here and there, but he wasn't as well rested as the Night Fury.

Toothless lit the fire place with small plasma blast, brightening up the room. Jorn moved to the back where the cupboards were and grabbed what he needed to make a fresh batch of boar broth. He also grabbed a basket for Toothless.

While he made the broth, he thought about his own son. It has been awhile since he had allowed the memory to surface.

His son had been born ill and his wife died giving birth to him. Since their tiny village didn't have a healer, Jorn had to learn as he went. His son survived infancy and toddlerhood, thanks to him. He studied day and night learning everything there was to know about medicine. All this knowledge still couldn't save his son.

Shortly after the boy turned seven, two of the older boys in the village had been bullying him because of his small stature. Jorn was usually around to stop it, but not this time. He was in a meeting with their chief. The boys had taken him into the woods and tied him log which they pushed down a rocky cliff.

His boy, his precious son, survived two days after the fall. Jorn couldn't do anything, except make him more comfortable. The boy had internal bleeding and no one knew how to stop it.

Shortly after the loss of his son, he set himself adrift. After several days at sea he crashed landed at a Dragon Hunter port. He took them up on their offer to be healer. It was all he was good at for now. He had no more family to raise and provide for.

Hiccup reminded him of his son, who would be the same age as him, if he was still here. They were both fighters from the minute they were born. They defied the odds with every breath they took.

Jorn placed the broth over the fire, sat down on the steps and allowed himself to cry. It was good cry. A needed cry. An exhausted cry.

Toothless padded over to him and gave him a loving nudge. Jorn smiled at the dragon and petted his head. "Thank you, Toothless."

The two sat in comfortable silence as they waited for the broth to heat up. Jorn took a few fish from the basket and fed the Night Fury. The two of them had developed an unspoken bond since Jorn brought Hiccup back from Johann's ship of horrors.

Toothless trusted Jorn to keep Hiccup safe and to treat him. Jorn trusted Toothless to do his best to stop Hiccup from attempting to pull life threatening stunts. They both looked out for Hiccup when the other one wasn't around.

* * *

Over the course of the next three days, Jorn watched as color returned to Hiccup's pale skin. The herbs in the broth helped greatly improve that. Aside from the lack of weight, Hiccup looked healthy again. All that was left was to help regain said lost weight and get him to do physical exercises to strengthen his muscles.

Jorn waited for Hiccup to wake up. The tonic should be starting to wear off. Hiccup wasn't going to like the fact that he'd been out cold for a whole week, but he would come to realize that it was worth it. He was going to feel better than he had in a long time, Jorn was sure of it.

The sun was beginning to set when Hiccup started to wake up. Jorn set the book he had been reading down and stood up. Toothless padded over to his best friend and crooned. Hiccup slowly opened his eyes, allowing them a chance to adjust to the brightness of the room.

"Hey, kid," Jorn greeted as he helped Hiccup sit up. He grabbed a cup of water off the little table and held it to Hiccup's lips. "Here, drink some water."

Hiccup wrapped one of his hands around the cup, and Jorn removed his and let it hover over the cup in case Hiccup lost his grip. The kid finished the entire cup and handed it back to Jorn, who set it back down. "How do you feel?"

"Rested," Hiccup answered. "Hungry. Starving in fact. Simply fine."

"That's good," Jorn said. "Let's do a quick examination, and then we'll head down stairs for some honey roasted boar's butt, vegetable stew, and some yak butter parfait."

"Sounds good," Hiccup said trying not to lick his lips.

Jorn held a finger on front of Hiccup's eyes. "Follow my finger."

Hiccup did so. "How long was I asleep?"

"Eye movement is good," Jorn noted taking hold of Hiccup's wrist to check his heart rate. "A week. Make a fist."

Hiccup made a fist, and stared at Jorn waiting for him to finish. Jorn tapped out a minute then let go. "That tonic put me out for a whole week?"

"Heart rate is little low, but that's to be expected," Jorn stated. "Yeah. You drank a whole bottle. I had to keep you asleep because of your fever. It didn't break for four days. Having you drink all of it ensured you wouldn't wake up. Let's check your reflexes." Jorn walked to the foot of the bed. "Lift your good leg up and place the ball of your foot on my palm.

Hiccup did as instructed. He was no stranger to this exercise. Jorn had him do for three months after they left Johann's ship, to see if he had the strength to push a motionless object out of his way.

"Now push," Jorn instructed. After several seconds of struggle, Hiccup managed the feat. "We'll work on that. If you're up for it, tomorrow we can start your exercises."

Hiccup nodded. "Sounds like a plan."

"Good. Let's go eat," Jorn said, walking back around to help Hiccup stand up. Hiccup swayed for a second, but quickly righted himself. Toothless walked over and Hiccup leaned against him for support. He really wanted to ride Toothless, but knew he needed to stretch his legs.

* * *

Two months later:

Jorn was leaning up against a tree watching Hiccup race Toothless on foot. This has become normal in the past several weeks. He and Hiccup made a deal; that if Hiccup could outrun Toothless, Hiccup could go back to his chiefly duties.

The first day Hiccup tried it, he couldn't get ten feet without having to stop and catch his breath. Now two months later Hiccup was able to close the distance, but couldn't beat Toothless to the finish line.

Jorn was impressed with how far Hiccup had come. From looking like death, to looking like he gave the Earth life itself, the spark of adventure and curiosity has returned to his eyes. They still had a bit of a ways to go before Jorn could give him a clean bill of health.

Hiccup might be happy now, but who knew how long it would last. Depression was a horrible thing. It would pop up whenever it wanted to and would hang on no matter what. Hiccup would have to learn how to overcome it whenever it stopped by for a visit.

Jorn has been drilling it into the kid's head that he's not alone and can always talk to someone about it. That there were herbs and certain foods that helped. Exercise was a great way to make oneself feel better. Set goals and achieve them. Anything that made him feel happy, he should do it.

The healer watched as the two best friends neared the finish line. Hiccup was in the lead by a few feet. Toothless was the one trying to catch up, now. If he didn't know any better, he'd think the Night Fury was letting Hiccup win.

Hiccup crossed the finish line and came to a complete stop. He looked confused for a second, and then he realized what he'd done and started to cheer. Toothless tackled his rider and started to pick on him in celebration.

"Toothless," Hiccup playfully complained. "How many times do I have to tell you? Your saliva doesn't wash out!"

Jorn walked over to the duo and helped Hiccup up, after getting Toothless to get off him. "Congratulations, Chief Hiccup. As a Healer of the Hooligan Tribe, I hereby reinstate you as Chief."

Hiccup smiled as he shook Jorn's hand. "Thanks Jorn. You plan to stick around?"

"Valka might not like it if I leave," Jorn stated. "So yeah, I think I'll be sticking around on a more permanent basis."

In the past two months, Jorn and Valka had grown quite close. Both had feelings for each other. That was obvious to even a blind man. But it was also too soon. Valka was still mourning the loss of her husband. Viking law permitted that they wait at least a year before getting serious.

Hiccup offered to give them permission to marry if they chose to. He wanted them to be happy. They declined and said they would wait to make sure it wasn't just a passing fancy. If the feelings were still there when the year was up, they would marry. It would be worth the wait.

* * *

Four months later:

Jorn, Toothless, and Hiccup stood outside the Haddock household listening to Astrid's screams and colorful language.

"WHY DID THAT FUCKING SON OF A TROLL SHITHEAD SCRAWNY ASS VIKING DO THIS TO ME?!" Astrid screamed.

Jorn have Hiccup a nudge. "I think she means you."

Hiccup laughed nervously. "You think so? I mean I'm not sure. There are plenty of scrawny Vikings."

Jorn laughed at Hiccup's sarcastic comeback. It had been a long day. Astrid's water had broken during breakfast. The two men were kicked out shortly after. Which was fine with them, because Astrid threatened to gut them both if they dared reentered the house before she finished.

The two stood in silence, waiting for the screaming to end and the baby's cry to begin.

* * *

After another hour the house fell silent to the count of twenty, and then the air was filled with the baby crying. The two men and dragon rushed into the house. It was a sight to behold. The midwife was wiping the sweat from Astrid's pale face. Gothi was cleaning the baby off and wrapping it in warm furs. The mother herself was lying on the floor, propped up with pillows and still had her legs bent upward, as if she was too exhausted to put them down.

Hiccup went to his wife's side and knelt down next her taking her hand. Gothi walked over to the chiefly couple and handed Hiccup his newborn child. Toothless wanted to walk over, but Jorn held him back.

"It's a boy," Astrid panted. "What should we name him?"

Hiccup looked over at Jorn, back at his wife, then to the little bundle of joy in his arms. He had a name. "I was thinking; Stoick Jorn Horrendous Haddock."

Astrid gave her husband a weak smile. "That's a wonderful name. I love it."

Jorn watched as Hiccup returned the smile and looked back at Stoick Jorn Horrendous Haddock. He was honored that Hiccup named his child after him. He could see the kid, who was no longer a kid, being filled with pride, joy, protectiveness and love.

He thought back to when they first met. Hiccup pleading with him for help. He was scared and all alone. His friends were never going to show up in time. The healer's heart reached out to him and for him off of that ship.

He remembered Hiccup accepting him as friend and teaching him how to fly. Treating him as if they had been friends for years. They shared a unique bond. Hiccup was like a son to him. And he himself became Hiccup's secondary father. They loved and respected one another. They carried a trust so strong it would never break.

* * *

Author's Note: Yay Hiccup is better and named his son after Jorn and his father. Thank you for the reviews and support. I have had a lot of fun writing this.

Okay truth time: Instead of a seizure I was going to have Gothi slowly poison him on the final order of Stoick if Hiccup wasn't up to the task. Not enough to kill him, just enough to step down. Then I realized I know nothing about poisoning or treatment. Plus it wouldn't make sense, since I was going to make Gothi talk.

I think Jorn and Valka would be cute together. He's like a gentler version of Stoick, only just not as big.

Special thanks to DraconicBeing2.0 for being an amazing beta reader and friend.

Until next time


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